Massive Attack release their new album.HELIGOLANDlooking forward to that

It's a very good album. I got a pre-release version and am listening to it right now. Very atmospheric stuff, mid to low tempo. It's still triphop influenced but that doesn't mean it sounds dated. Something to listen to on your own. And it is worth listening as there are so many tiny bits and pieces woven into the sound that while the atmosphere is rather dark and introvert it is great fun to detect those things. Music to listen to when you are on your own.

And now for something completely different: The Hotrats. A cover album by two of the Supergrass blokes which includes pretty good versions of songs like Queen Bitch, Love Is The Drug, Crystal Ship or Up The Junction. Music to have a beer with.

I was skeptical at first, but I'm diggin' that Yeasayer tune now that it's kicked in.

There's a lot of cool shtuff coming into my sphere that I missed from '09.

Firstly, why did I hear nothing about Bear in Heaven until everyone's top 10 lists came in?

Also, did anyone know that Ryan Gosling has a music project? I'm already a huge fan of the acting career so maybe I'm a bit biased, but I'm really impressed. It's like a goth pop doo wop get down that's weighted by a children's choir, of all things. Gosling sings and plays piano. Everything's a bit green and the tempo-template of the album (fast-fast-sloooooow...fast!) quickly loses its power, but overall, there's some smart melodies going on here on the friendlier side of goth. Certainly much more inventive than what I've yet heard from any current actor-turned-musician. I get a definite Nick Cave influence from the album's title track. As for the linked vid, this live performance from the album wrap party is much better than the studio cut...

The new Gorillaz album "Plastic Beach" is a cool release. It took me a couple of tracks to adapt to the rather cheap and old school synth sounds but then the album took off. It's all fairly light-hearted, mid-tempo pop, but Albarn again manages to put in a decent dose of melancholy into the songs. Very atmospheric stuff in vast parts.

And there's a few interesting guest appearances by folks like Lou Reed, Snoop Dog, Ex-Clash Paul Simonon and Mick Jones, Swedish electro band Little Dragon and even Bobby Womack.

Sounds pretty interesting but what is the rap / hip hop quotient? That worries me.

Richard Kingsmill (Triple J FM): "Do you mind if we throw to a song by your old man?. Duncan Jones (Bowie's Son): "Oh God ... if you have to ... OK ... but have a look at Nick Armstrong and The Thieves"

Nothing to worry about about, Adam. Of course there is a hiphop element in a Gorillaz album but it is far from the blatant stereotypes which you normally come by on the radio or on MTV. It's rather like the hiphop you find on Massive Attack recordings.

Well said, EJ. Unfortunately, hip hop has been misaligned due to mass media, but to appreciate it as an art form is to also appreciate words and flow of words. When you hear a good MC, you can have awesome pictures in your mind from how they enunciate a word and the context they use it in.

Metaphors, character, stories, etc... are all part of decent hip hop and the Gorillaz have used awesome lyrical masters like Deltron 3000 and De La Soul as well as other great artists (from a variety of genres) intertwined with Albarn's vision to create new styles and sounds for thirsty ears.

If you thought that Johnny Cash's posthumous career has started to slow, it is time to guess again.

The last week has seen the release of another new album - American VI: Ain't No Grave. It debuted at US #3 - the highest of any new album released this week.

Richard Kingsmill (Triple J FM): "Do you mind if we throw to a song by your old man?. Duncan Jones (Bowie's Son): "Oh God ... if you have to ... OK ... but have a look at Nick Armstrong and The Thieves"

Groove Armada's new album Black Light features an excellent cameo from Bryan Ferry, doing his usual Bryan Ferry thing. The rest of the album I can take or leave (it'll get a few more spins before I know for sure), but this song... man.

Pavement have a best of coming out this week. Called "Quarantine the Past". Despite not having any new material on it, I still predict it will be the most adventurous, original and refreshing guitar-orientated alternative record of the year.

I used to be with it, but then they changed what "it" was. Now, what I'm with isn't it, and what's "it" seems weird and scary to me.

The new Beck album "Oar" is pretty weird stuff. It's a cover of an old album by a dead man, this is what pitchfork.com said about it a while ago:

"Beck got together with Wilco in L.A. to record their version of the 1969 cult fave Oar by onetime Moby Grape/Jefferson Airplane member turned acid casualty Skip Spence. Beck's long been a public admirer of Spence; he covered Oar's "Halo of Gold" on the 1999 tribute album More Oar. We are good and excited to hear what happens when Beck and Jeff Tweedy, the owners of two of rock's most evocatively weary voices, sing on the same track."

I haven't been able yet to decide wether I like the album or not, but in any case it is definitely worth checking out. The original is unknown to me but the Beck /Wilco (and Feist) collaboration is certainly interesting stuff. It has some weird tunes and noises on it, which make it as far from the mainstream as I am just able to cope with - and then again it has some very cool drum loops and vocals which are not far from radio friendly pop.

This is not a comfortable listening experience, but an interesting one nevertheless. Probably even more so for those who have ever heard the original by Skip Spence.

Richard Kingsmill (Triple J FM): "Do you mind if we throw to a song by your old man?. Duncan Jones (Bowie's Son): "Oh God ... if you have to ... OK ... but have a look at Nick Armstrong and The Thieves"

He's also done full-album covers of The Velvet Underground & Nico with Nigel Godrich and Giovanni Ribisi and Songs of Leonard Cohen with Devendra Banhart and MGMT. The next one's supposed to have St. Vincent and Os Mutantes.

Brian Ritchie of The Violent Femmes now resides in the island state of Tasmania and has formed a couple of interesting bands with notable people down here:

The Break plays modern surf rock and they consist of Richie and former members of Midnight Oil - Rob Hirst (drums), Martin Rotsey (guitar) and Jim Moginie (guitars and stylophone). They have an album due in the next couple of weeks. Their single can be heard here. For me, it evokes some of the feel of Frank Black's debut.

BRR is Brian Ritchie with former members of Split Enz - Eddie Raynor (keys) and Michael Barker (drums). 20 tracks recorded so far, possible live dates to come.

Richard Kingsmill (Triple J FM): "Do you mind if we throw to a song by your old man?. Duncan Jones (Bowie's Son): "Oh God ... if you have to ... OK ... but have a look at Nick Armstrong and The Thieves"

The album is titled "Congratulations" and I am listening to it while I write. The music on the album is really good, quite trashy in parts, melodic anyway. Still I am not much of a fan and the reason is the vocals. Too much of them sound like a school boys choir and I don't want school choirs on a rock album. Listening to a young boy sing might be joyful for catholic priests, myself is rather put off by it.

One song is titled "Brian Eno" and it almost sounds like a Buzzcoks revival, "Lady Dada's Nightmare" has a intro with a Hunky Dory keyboard feel to it, another one has some nice acoustic guitars and yes, the album is full of interesting ideas. But void of a singer I can take seriously. Shame.

A weird combo with a horrible product. All easy listening, nothing fresh, very 80s and very listener friendly. Nothing to surprise you. Got guests on Sunday afternoon? Play this double CD, won't disturb anyone.

Apparently this is some sort of musical and maybe there is something special hidden in there which I don't get. But if not it is just a totally dreadful album.

Loudon Wainright III has an excellent album out: "Songs For The New Depression" is exactly what the title says, a collection of songs about bankers, managers, common people and who else was too greedy or is severely hit by the recent economic developments especially in the USA. Excellent songs inbetween Country, Rockabilly and traditional singer/songwriter style with wonderful lyrics that make you think, laugh and occasionally want to reach for a gun. Great stuff.

I don't mind the vocals, but my first impression is that it sounds like they went out of their way to try to make it "interesting," which pretty much never works.

I wouldn't call myself a fan, exactly, but "Kids" and "Time To Pretend" were pretty undeniably hooky in a way that none of these songs seem to be. And as "hook" is a dirty word for the sort of people who like to backlash against a certain type of band, this feels to me like a band consciously playing against their strengths.

Apparently this release kind of makes sense -- it's from a bunch of studio sessions in 1969 (shortly after the release of Electric Ladyland), with the original Experience, Only, we have heard most of the songs a thousand times already and some of them (the embarrassing cut of "Fire") were clearly not meant to be spread to the public.

Nevertheless, I bought it for the 1000-km car trip I just did. Didn't regret the purchase. The one really "new" track made it all worthwhile.

Iggy and The Stooges' Raw Power returns to the shops as the double CD called "Legacy Edition". The album has been remastered by some Mark Wilder and whoever he is he did his job well. The sound is much deeper and and has more pressure than any of the mixes I have heard before. And it is still a wild recording. The fabulous "Search & Destroy" is even more of a treat now that the fantastic guitar on it sounds voluminous and agressive as it always should have done. "Gimme Danger" was the track which least suffered from the lack of depth in the mix but songs like "Penetration" or the title track itself gain loads of presence and pressure here, with the thin and blurred noises from the old days vanishing completely.

Great stuff.

The second CD is a live recording from Atlanta 1973, which is great fun because of its authenticity. Two outtakes from the "Raw Power" sessions round off a release which is defintely worth the money. Even if you already have several "Raw Power" issues in your recor collection. This one stands out.

It's a shame, cos they could have fit both mixes on Disc One, while still keeping the extras to round out Disc Two. I'd actually like to hear Bowie's mix remastered, cos I've got the original CD release of RP and while it sounds a little thin and tinny, I put that down to the analogue-digital converting of the day.

I used to be with it, but then they changed what "it" was. Now, what I'm with isn't it, and what's "it" seems weird and scary to me.

Apparently it is the original Bowie mix which has been remastered. This critic would have preferred the Iggy version to be remastered and thinks this one here is not heavy enough. Myself I think it is a wonderfully balanced remaster, just as I said before.

I was pretty into Boxer for a hot second, but the same-y-ness kinda did it in for me. I'm having the same problem with the new one -- dude's voice is great, but he needs some new vocal melodies.

On the flip side, there's the Black Keys. I assumed after Rubber Factory that these guys had pretty much run their course, albeit a pretty solid one. And I never got around to Attack & Release, because let's face it, Dangermouse's name is increasingly worth more than his actual contributions.

Well, I was wrong. Maybe about A&R, but most definitely about Brothers, which is their best record by a damn sight.

I have listened to it a couple of times and it is OK. Don't think it will grow so much though as it was easy to get into. I haven't heard anything really great this year. LCD Soundsystem was Ok. Gorillaz and Massive Attack too. I guess I am getting fed up with pop music listening more and more to classical music. I have almost played Beethoven exclusively the last month. Piano sontas and symphonies.

Yeah I've heard it. I've got it but I dunno. It doesnt get me in the same way the original would or even Easy Star All Stars - Dub Side of the Moon.

Yeah, same her. The charming factor with the Easy Star Allstars was that they transferred the album into a completly different genre. A genre which you wouldn't exactly expect to work with an album like that. But it did. Nicely and with lasting joy. The Flaming Lips version is an exerimental rock band re-recording an album by another experimental rock band. Not badly done, the guitar in "Us and Them" is cool, but all in all the album lacks the extra idea and charm.

Iggy and The Stooges' Raw Power returns to the shops as the double CD called "Legacy Edition". The album has been remastered by some Mark Wilder and whoever he is he did his job well. The sound is much deeper and and has more pressure than any of the mixes I have heard before. And it is still a wild recording. The fabulous "Search & Destroy" is even more of a treat now that the fantastic guitar on it sounds voluminous and agressive as it always should have done. "Gimme Danger" was the track which least suffered from the lack of depth in the mix but songs like "Penetration" or the title track itself gain loads of presence and pressure here, with the thin and blurred noises from the old days vanishing completely.

Great stuff.

The second CD is a live recording from Atlanta 1973, which is great fun because of its authenticity. Two outtakes from the "Raw Power" sessions round off a release which is defintely worth the money. Even if you already have several "Raw Power" issues in your recor collection. This one stands out.

I've been keeping an eye out for the Raw Power re-release, but it doesn't seem to have been released in Australia yet. Granted, I haven't looked in a few weeks. Anyway, despite already having the Bowie mix, the Iggy mix, and Rough Power, I still feel obliged to pick up the re-release, even though for some reason I've been off Iggy for a while (I never even got The Weirdness or that French jazz album thing he did last year).

Put me in the "cautiously optimistic" category. The Manics have stated that it's not going to be a follow-up to Journal for Plague Lovers, and James' "We're going for big radio hits on this one" statement alongside the news that Dave Eringa is producing and Chris Lord-Alge is mixing does make Postcards From a Young Man sound like a follow-up to Send Away the Tigers. Even though SATT was the Manics' least-best album to date, I'm optimistic because I think the Manics have to act like they have something to prove: JFPL gave them their best reviews in years, but now they have to show they can still cut it without Richey (again). James and Nicky's description of the new album as their "one last shot at mass communication" (and the fact that it's being supported by their biggest UK tour to date) could mean it's their swansong, or perhaps their last attempt to be radio-friendly.

Anyway, the album is out on 27 September (perhaps coincidentally, a few days before Ben Myers' Richard novel is released).

d James' "We're going for big radio hits on this one" statement alongside the news that Dave Eringa is producing and Chris Lord-Alge is mixing does make Postcards From a Young Man sound like a follow-up to Send Away the Tigers.

Oh man, SAtT is easily the worst album I've bought by a (contemporary) band I've loved. So toothless, so banal...

Oh man, SAtT is easily the worst album I've bought by a (contemporary) band I've loved. So toothless, so banal...

And yet when it was released, many critics were creaming their jeans over it, proclaiming it to be a return to form after Lifeblood (bullshit. Lifeblood is great) and the Manics' best album since Everything Must Go (an album which SATT supposedly resembles). I dunno, I suppose I have a sentimental attachment to SATT because at the first (and only) Manics gig I've been to, they premiered some SATT stuff live, but while I think SATT has a couple of good songs, I won't deny it's the worst MSP album out there. I think I've only listened to the whole thing from start to finish a couple of times and I've no desire to listen to it again anytime soon.

And "I'm just a patsy for your love/I need an angel from above" must surely rank as the worst lyrics Wire has ever cobbled.

In reply to:

I never knew Nathan Rabin moonlighted at TW as Ziggfried!

How I wish I could claim credit for coining the phrase "Manic Pixie Dream Girl."

Duff McKagan, Ian McCulloch and John Cale are guesting on Postcards from a Young Man, apparently. I dunno, loading a radio-friendly album with guest stars could make this thing great, or a colossal bloated folly. We will wait and see.

Yeah, my only Manics gig was on the SatT tour too, it was at a festival thought so all we heard from that album was Your Love Alone... and the not-so-bad Imperial Bodybags. Also Nicky acknowledged me when I complimented his dress.

Anyone got an opinion on Tame Impala's Innerspeaker? Pitchfork are going apeshit over it, American college radio is saturating it and finally there looks to be an Australian band with some aspects of originality that is going to make it. What's more they're from my hometown.

I saw them open for my favourite band You Am I about 2 years ago - I wasn't unimpressed, but I thought that they needed to tighten their structures a bit cos so many of their songs seemed jammy and aimless. The album retains the jammy-ness, but it structures the songs that they don't become too self indulgent. There's a certain airiness about the music that'll have day trippers enraptured, and while their influences are perhaps obvious, the way they turn them inside out and upside down makes them far from derivative. In fact, I think this is probably the freshest sounding guitar based record I've heard in 5 years.

I'd be particularly interested in whether or not Marquis has heard this and what his views are.

I used to be with it, but then they changed what "it" was. Now, what I'm with isn't it, and what's "it" seems weird and scary to me.

Yeah, my only Manics gig was on the SatT tour too, it was at a festival thought so all we heard from that album was Your Love Alone... and the not-so-bad Imperial Bodybags. Also Nicky acknowledged me when I complimented his dress.

Good times.

Gig I was at was part of a festival too - the Manics were the last act at the XFM Winter Wonderland in Manchester, December 2006. First time live for "I'm Just a Patsy" and "Autumnsong." 11-song set, I was near the back, so it wasn't exactly the best gig I've ever been to in my life, but anyway...I do remember Nicky saying, "I Killed the Zeitgeist, anyone?" and after some not-insubstantial cheers from the audience, Nicky replied, "You've got to be fucking kidding!" (I wouldn't have minded if James played some of his solo stuff though...).

On a related note, I did re-listen to SATT a couple of weeks ago. Still not impressed, but there's a half-decent EP in that album somewhere.

Yes, I have heard Tame Impala - I like the first couple of tracks, but after that the jamminess kind of loses me and the rest of the album sort of blends together. I know a few people who really dig it, several of whom liken them to an English-language Dungen, which is probably accurate in that they're both jammy folksters well-liked by a number of my pals, but I reckon just aren't my thang, ya dig.

In other news: my friend Nadya tells me I'm a bad person for loving this song as much as I do, but that hasn't stopped me from listening to it about 50 times since I got back from LA last week. Gold, Jerry. Gold.

I'll be heading out in a few minutes to pick up the new Big Boi CD. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm baby.

Well, I will grant you that he's an awful rapper. And not even awesomely terrible like Gucci Mane, just plain bad. But the beat is fantastic, and the chorus IS awesomely terrible. That shit is right in my wheelhouse.

Since I'm sure you were all dying to know, yes, I did indeed pick up Sir Lucious Left Foot...The Son of Chico Dusty on Tuesday, along with another front-runner for record of the year, Janelle Monae's The Archandroid, which sounds sort of like what would happen if Stevie Wonder had died in 1976 and his spirit was reborn in the body of a hypertalented high school theater kid. Love, love, love that woman.

I've only heard 1/2 of the M.I.A. record so far, and like about 1/2 of it, which is about par for the course for me and her.

Truth be told, I'm still a bit put off by the whole NY Times debacle last month. Not so much the piece itself -- I certainly never had any illusions that she was much more than a provocateur -- but the petty, childlike reaction to criticism left a bad taste.

I've only heard 1/2 of the M.I.A. record so far, and like about 1/2 of it, which is about par for the course for me and her.

I listened to all of it this afternoon and can't quite figure out what all the fuss about the girl is about. Admittedly there is a lot of experiment in it but there is also way too little decent tunes or songs. The rougher tracks sound like The Prodigy for girls, the mid-tempo ones are Rhianna for intellectuals. When the song "Caps Lock" came on I thought yeah, now the album part with the good tunes begins but unfortunately it's the last track on it.

It certainly is an album that is different from the currently successful girls pop the likes of Gaga or Rihanna in that it doesn't stick to the commercial recipe of popular beats and hooks with a matching chorus. But on the other hand I find it difficult to imagine going through the whole record again. It's too nervous and trying too hard. Too little moments of fun.

Critics in Germany have gone apeshit over the Arcade Fire's new album "The Suburbs", praising it as a true milestone. Not being an admirer of the band's albums (and a live performance I have witnessed) I have forced myself to listen to the album a dozen times now and must admit that there is some great music on it. Not throughout but enough to make me like an Arcade Fire album. The title track is the stand-out song on the album: Non of their typical hippiesque hysteria but instead a wonderfully piano driven song with an ingenious chorus and excellent lyrics. Music is rarley getting better than this, one of the best tracks I have heard in 10 years. Or longer.

There is more great music to be found but so is the mediocre to annoying stuff. The tracks featuring the female lead vocalist are dreadful and still too often for my liking they sound like the popmpous art school band of their previous recordings.

But nevertheless this is a partly great and mostly interesting album. And a theme recording about coming from and living in The Suburbs which lyrically never gets embarassing is quite an achievement too.

I finally got hold of Massive Attack's new one and its a pleasant surprise. I say this because the $1 second hand price tag had me thinking there must have been something awfully wrong with it. That plus the stall holder insisting that it was probably designed for the "why generation" and not him. Either way, it sounds very good to me.

My tentative top 3 for 2010:

1. Laurie Anderson: Homeland2. Crowded House: Intriguer3. Darren Hanlon: I Will Love You At All

I saw them live a couple of years back at the Hurricane festival and they were excellent. They played one or two gigs in Berlin in recent years which were fairly short. One hour and that was it. Apparently that hour was pretty good but still I would have been annoyed if I had been there.

The new Neil Young album "Le Noise" is some strange recording. Produced by the legendary Daniel Lanois Neil comes up with a pure solo album, meaning no additional musicians or instruments - just Neil, his guitar and Lanois fuzzy sound ideas.

This is a thoroughly interesting and rough piece of music, still I would like to hear those songs again with a full band. The songs are powerful and Neil is being heavily personal with the lyrics but the concept of having just a guitar and a hatful of production tricks is wearing a little thin over the course of a full album. A good dash of drums and bass would have helped here. Unharmed by the lack of a full band are the two really strong accoustic songs of which especially "Love & War" is absolutely terrific.

Anyway, the album is definitely a must for everyone who has half a heart for true music by a true musician who refuses to get old and still likes to take risks. And you don't even have to by the album as Neil has put up a video of the recording session on youtube which includes exactly what you get on the record.

I haven't received my copy yet. As far as I can see, only the 1CD version has been released in Australia, so I've ordered the 2CD version from Amazon UK (the 2CD edition will probably be released down here next month as a "Tour Edition!" or something, but I don't wait to wait until then).

I finally got around to listening to that Arcade Fire album, and being someone who mildly liked their previous efforts, I really love this one! Less art school, less folk, more Suede. My current favourite album.

then I tried out another of the suggestions in this thread, namely The National; not bad.

However: There are some news that would have shaken the world if it were 2003: Jack White is producing Dungen! Now in this link you can read that "Dungenís quick rise to fame continues skyward.", which is quite a strange statement considering that the group has existed for longer than the Beatles did. Anyway, even though it is 2010 now, this collaboration involves two of my favourite artists so I will be sure to check it out.